    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2004, Book III)]
    [November 18, 2004]
    [Pages 3005-3008]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Memorandum on Further Strengthening Federal Bureau of Investigation
    Capabilities
    November 18, 2004

    Memorandum for the Attorney General

    Subject: Further Strengthening Federal Bureau of Investigation
    Capabilities

        The Final Report of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks
    Upon the United States recommended:
          A specialized and integrated national security workforce should be
            established at the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)
            consisting of agents, analysts, linguists, and surveillance
            specialists who are recruited, trained, rewarded, and retained
            to ensure the development of an institutional culture imbued
            with a deep expertise in intelligence and national security.
        I approve and direct you to implement the recommendation,
    recognizing that significant progress has already been made in
    strengthening the FBI's capabilities, especially with respect to the
    FBI's intelligence organization, information sharing, personnel
    development, and recruiting.
        To build upon this foundation, and to strengthen further the FBI's
    ability to prevent, preempt, and disrupt terrorist threats to and
    attacks against the United States, I direct you to implement within the
    FBI measures to:

           (1)  Continue to improve the FBI's ability to collect, process,
                analyze, and disseminate to appropriate officials in the
                executive branch, including appropriate officials within the
                Intelligence Community, information relevant to national
                security and homeland security;

           (2)  Ensure full and seamless coordination and cooperation
                between the FBI and all other elements of the Intelligence
                Community, including the Central Intelligence Agency, the
                Department of

    [[Page 3006]]

                Homeland Security, and the National Counterterrorism Center;
                and
           (3)  Ensure that the activities described in subparagraphs (1)
                and (2) of this paragraph are performed in a manner
                consistent with our national intelligence priorities and
                constitutional protections.
        The measures directed in the preceding paragraph shall include, but
    not be limited to, measures to:
           (1)  Ensure that the Director of the FBI (Director), not later
                than 90 days from the date of this memorandum, allocates
                sufficient resources and authority to the new FBI
                Intelligence Directorate to perform its assigned mission.
                The Intelligence Directorate shall have responsibility for
                all components and functions of the FBI judged by the
                Attorney General, in consultation with the Director of
                Central Intelligence, to be necessary for the performance of
                its mission, including development of the intelligence
                cadre, field intelligence operations oversight, human source
                development and management, the FBI's collection against
                nationally determined intelligence requirements, information
                sharing and dissemination policy, language services,
                strategic analysis, and program and budget management;
           (2)  Within resources available to the Department, create within
                the FBI, not later than 90 days from the date of this
                memorandum, a specialized, integrated intelligence cadre
                (including special agents, analysts, linguists, and
                surveillance specialists), and implement a separate career
                track program permitting employees within the intelligence
                cadre to pursue their entire career, including promotion to
                the most senior positions in the FBI, within this cadre.
                This effort shall include the establishment, not later than
                90 days from the date of this directive, of specific
                requirements for the following: training; career
                development; certification, recruiting, hiring, and
                selection; integration of the cadre into the FBI's field
                intelligence groups and headquarters divisions; and senior-
                level field and headquarters management. These requirements
                shall be fully consistent with the standards defined in
                Executive Order 13355 of August 27, 2004, entitled
                ``Strengthened Management of the Intelligence Community;''

           (3)  Recommend, as part of the Fiscal Year 2006 budget
                development process, the most appropriate methods for
                aligning the FBI's budget structure according to its four
                main programs: intelligence, counterterrorism and
                counterintelligence, criminal, and criminal justice
                services;

           (4)  Recommend, as part of the Fiscal Year 2006 budget
                development process, the appropriate funding levels for each
                program to ensure that the FBI is able to:

           (a)  Carry out its overriding priority to prevent, preempt, and
                disrupt terrorist threats to and attacks against our
                homeland, our people, our allies, and our interests around
                the globe;

           (b)  Collect, process, share, and disseminate, to the greatest
                extent permitted by applicable law, to the President, the
                Vice President in the performance of Executive functions,
                and other officials in the executive branch, all ``terrorism
                information,'' as defined in Executive Order 13356 of August
                27, 2004, entitled ``Strengthening the Sharing of Terrorism
                Information to Protect Americans,'' and other information
                necessary to safeguard our people and advance our national
                security and homeland security interests; and

    [[Page 3007]]

           (c)  Facilitate the above functions by increasing the
                availability of secure facilities to allow for the expanded
                use of secure systems for the storage and exchange of
                classified materials;
           (5)  Recommend, if necessary, not later than 60 days from the
                date of this memorandum, any amendments to statutes,
                executive orders, or presidential directives required to
                provide the personnel, procurement, information sharing, or
                other authorities necessary for the FBI to meet its national
                security responsibilities;
           (6)  Ensure that, in addition to creating a separate intelligence
                career track, the FBI creates an intelligence officer
                certification program and requires such certification for
                advancement to senior FBI operational management positions.
                This certification program shall include requirements for
                applicable skills, training courses, assignments to other
                intelligence, national security, or homeland security
                components of the executive branch, and shall be fully
                consistent with the standards defined in Executive Order
                13355;
           (7)  Provide to me, not later than 90 days from the date of this
                memorandum through the Assistant to the President for
                National Security Affairs and the Assistant to the President
                for Homeland Security, a comprehensive plan with performance
                measures, including timelines for achievement of specific,
                measurable progress, in each of the following areas:
           (a)  Analysis (including standards for the recruitment, hiring,
                training, and performance of FBI analysts);
           (b)  Products (including product standards, standards for
                measuring the responsiveness of those products to nationally
                determined priorities, measures of the percentage of
                products written to the lowest possible classification level
                and the percentage transmitted and posted using secure
                systems, measures of the effectiveness of products in
                meeting the needs of State and local governments, as
                appropriate, and measures of customer satisfaction);
           (c)  Sources (including standards for asset validation, asset
                contributions to filling intelligence gaps, and new source
                development, with particular emphasis on human sources);
           (d)  Field intelligence operations (including standards for
                assessing staffing and infrastructure, intelligence
                production management processes, and the number of field
                intelligence group supervisors certified as Intelligence
                Officers); and
           (e)  Contribution of the FBI's intelligence products to the
                intelligence and national security information made
                available to the President, the Vice President in the
                performance of Executive functions, and other officials in
                the executive branch, including the degree to which each FBI
                Field Office is collecting against, and providing
                information responsive to, national requirements.
                A copy of this plan will be provided to the Commission on
                the Intelligence Capabilities of the United States Regarding
                Weapons of Mass Destruction. The Commission will advise me
                on the adequacy of the plan, particularly with respect to
                any matters concerning countering the threat posed by
                weapons of mass destruction;
           (8)  Implement, not later than 90 days from the date of this
                memorandum, a program to ensure that the FBI's recruitment
                and training program for agents and analysts enhances the
                FBI's ability to target and attract individuals with
                educational and professional backgrounds in intelligence,
                international relations, language, technology, and relevant
                skills;

    [[Page 3008]]

           (9)  Report to me, through the Assistant to the President for
                Homeland Security and the Director of the Office of
                Management and Budget, on the actions and investments
                necessary to ensure that the architecture supporting FBI
                information systems is consistent with broader information
                architecture, and with other initiatives as I direct to
                facilitate information sharing across Federal, State, and
                local government agencies, and the private sector; and
          (10)  Beginning in June 2005, I direct you to report to me at
                least semi-annually through the Assistant to the President
                for National Security Affairs, the Assistant to the
                President for Homeland Security, and the Director of the
                Office of Management and Budget on the progress made
                implementing this memorandum and other relevant milestones
                in development of the FBI's intelligence program, including
                milestones related to analysis and the analyst workforce,
                intelligence production, intelligence sources, intelligence
                certification, and FBI field intelligence operations.
        This memorandum shall be implemented subject to the availability of
    appropriations and in a manner consistent with applicable law, including
    the Constitution and laws protecting the freedom and information privacy
    of Americans.

                                                              George W. Bush

    Note: This memorandum was released by the Office of the Press Secretary
    on November 23.